Treatment of neuropathic arthropathy

  Neuroarthropathy is not very well known to many people because the incidence of this disease is not very high. But if you have this disease, then it can have a great impact on your body. The only way to restore health is to actively treat it.  So, how to treat neuroarthropathy?  1.Conservative treatment. The main focus is to strengthen joint protection, such as local brake brace protection, etc.  2, symptomatic treatment. Anti-inflammatory and analgesic drugs can be used when the pain is severe, but these drugs should be used in small amounts for a long time to avoid accelerating joint destruction. On the one hand, because these things make the joint swelling and pain, protective muscle spasm relief, thus suffering excessive pressure and wear and tear trauma; on the other hand, these drugs can inhibit the production of prostaglandins, which hinders the repair of subchondral bone.  Intra-articular injections of hormonal drugs are not recommended for repeated use. These drugs have a more obvious effect of reducing inflammation and relieving symptoms, thus increasing the patient’s joint activity and accelerating the wear and tear of the joint.  3, etiological treatment. First of all, the cause of the disease should be identified, and then treated for the cause of the disease. Diabetes is controlled by diet and oral hypoglycemic drugs to control blood sugar, not only to treat the primary cause, but also to improve joint symptoms. In case of cremasteric cavitation, oral nuclear 131I, or deep X-ray of the cavity segment may be given, and in a few cases, cavitation incision and drainage of the effusion is feasible. Crestal consumption is treated as syphilis by exorcism.  4. Treatment of arthropathy. There is no specific treatment, and the prognosis varies with the severity of the disease and responsiveness to surgical treatment. The principles of treatment are to reduce weight bearing and to protect and stabilize the joint. Standard treatment strategies include elevation of the affected limb and joint braking, reduction of throwing and swinging movements in the upper extremity, and minimization of standing time and walking distance in the lower extremity to prevent joint sprains.  The unstable joints can be protected with braces, and orthotics and joint protection devices are quite effective for foot involvement. Diabetic neuropathy involving the foot and ankle joints can be effectively controlled with “restrictive walkers”, which can control limb edema and prevent joint deformity. Amitriptyline can relieve joint pain, and the efficacy of pulsed electromagnetic therapy varies.  5.The treatment of osteoarthrosis itself. The principle of treatment for neurogenic osteoarthropathy is to reduce weight bearing, protect and stabilize the joint. If the upper extremity lesions minimize the work of the affected limb, the lower extremity lesions are less standing, less walking, walking with crutches. Unstable joints can be protected by braces. The design of the mechanical structure must take care to prevent abnormal pressure transmission across the joint that could lead to bone destruction.  Surgical joint fixation or arthroplasty is possible in some patients, but surgery is often unsuccessful due to nutritional impairment, difficult healing wounds, dislocation, infection, or all four. In a few patients, knee fusion or arthroplasty can be successful if the proprioceptive pathway is intact. In cases of infection, progressive ulceration, and severe joint destruction, amputation may be considered.  6. Surgical treatment. At present, joint cleanup and joint fusion are still the mainstay. Special attention should be paid to the placement of effective negative pressure suction after surgery, and attention should be paid to late postoperative activities and avoidance of heavy physical labor. It is generally accepted that neurological arthropathy is a contraindication to joint replacement surgery, which may be due to loss of effective innervation of the joint, poor nutrition and poor bone structure, which may easily cause the implant to loosen and fail.  Surgical treatment such as arthrodesis or arthroplasty may reduce pain. Knee fusion is feasible for knee lesions with intact proprioceptive pathways and crestal fusion is feasible for crestal involvement, which is also beneficial for foot and knee involvement, provided bone discontinuity and re-fracture are avoided. Epiphyseal warts resection can partially restore motor function and reduce joint pain, especially in patients with unstable standing or severe deformity. Total arthroplasty was traditionally considered too risky for patients with this disease because of the high failure rate of prosthetic placement, but with improved techniques, selective total arthroplasty can be performed with good results in some patients.  Indications for surgery include refractory pain and mild neuropathy. Surgical outcomes can be improved by extensive bone implantation to correct severe bone loss and careful ligament repair. In rare cases, amputation may be considered in cases of infection, progressive ulceration, and severe joint destruction.  For the treatment of neuropathic arthropathy, since the choice needs to be made according to the patient’s specific situation, patients are advised to carefully consult their primary care physician and, through his or her expertise, choose the most suitable treatment for them so that the effects of neuropathic arthropathy can be eliminated as soon as possible.